For Teachers

School groups attending an education program in the Memorial Garden at César E. Chávez National Monument. Reservations are required for school groups. See information below for information.

NPS Photo

 

General Information

César E. Chávez National Monument provides opportunities for students to connect with their local national park site through exploring the rolling hills of Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz in the Tehachapi Mountains. Through free, curriculum-based programming and 4^th grade field trip transportation provided via grants, we have been able to address accessibility issues that otherwise would prevent students and educators from connecting with their public lands. We are offering in-person field trips to the park and curriculum resources for educators to use. We look forward to connecting with students in a safe and welcoming environment. All programs are free for schools.

 

Available Education Opportunities

Connect your students with your National Park Service site and local history through fun, hands-on education programs that meet California Curriculum Standards!

There are several options for how to engage your students with the story of Cesar E. Chavez and the farm worker movement:

Curriculum materials for use in the classroom

• César E. Chávez National Monument : Lesson Plan | CyArk
• See the lesson plans at the bottom of this page

Field trip experiences (by day of the week)

• Sat-Tues (Self Guided): Resources provided (no limit on the number of students)
• Wed-Fri (Guided): There are two time slots each day, either 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM or 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. See our Program Descriptions for offerings.

 

Scheduling a field trip

How to make a reservation.

1. Download the Education Reservation Request form.
2. Fill out only Sections 1 and 2.
3. Save the form with your school's name in the filename.
4. Email the completed reservation form to us.

NOTE: Response time varies, depending on the time of year, but please expect a response no earlier than one week after submitting your form.

Cost

Programs are offered free of charge.

Transportation

Assistance with bus transportation may be available and can be requested during registration.

 

Pre-Trip Planning

Directions and Map

Group Size & Safety

It is recommended to limit field trip groups to 120 students or less with a minimum chaperone to student ratio of 1:10 depending on the age group.

Accessibility

All park facilities are wheelchair accessible.

General Parking/Bus Parking

Free general parking and limited bus parking is located in the Visitor Center Parking Lot. Schedule your field trip ahead of time to increase chances of available bus parking.

Picnic Area

Planning to have lunch at César E. Chávez National Monument? The picnic tables in the National Chavez Center’s Picnic Grounds only a few steps from the Monument Visitor Center are a great place to rest and take a leisurely lunch with your class.

 

In-Person Guided Program Descriptions (Offered Wednesday-Friday)

Ranger-led programs generally last one to two hours, not including transportation or lunch time. Expect total time at the park (program, lunch, gift shop, free time) to be approximately two to three hours. Teachers and chaperones are expected to support student learning and positive behavior expectations.

We are allowing a maximum of a total 65 students per program (usually 1 bus with 2 classes on a bus).

If you would like to book a trip for your whole grade level and there are more than 65 students, there are two options:

• Schedule for both the guided tour time slots (10:00am to 11:30am and 1:00pm to 2:30pm) on the same day if this works for your schedule.
• Schedule for tours on multiple days. For example, a group of 120 students could schedule on two dates and have one bus visit the Monument on each day.

Elementary School Offerings

Champions of Change: Learning Leadership at La Paz (Grades: 4-5)

Transportation funding for local schools may be available.

Length: 1.5 hours
Maximum group size: 65 students
Teachers & Chaperones: 1 adult per 10 students
CA History Standards addressed: 4.4, 5.7
Description: This guided program involves three stations that give context to Cesar’s childhood, philosophy and tactics. These stations typically include a guided tour of the visitor center highlighting Cesar and the farm worker’s struggle for justice and equality along with a nature walk highlighting nature’s value to Cesar and to each of us.

 

 

 

Our Educator's Toolkit is a collection of lesson plans, classroom activity handouts, primary documents, technology-based activities, and resources for K-12 teachers. It's designed to provide educators with step-by-step guidance to enable you to design, implement, and deliver interesting and informative lessons about the life and work of Cesar Chavez. We hope that these materials will help you develop and customize lessons to fit the needs of the students you serve.

 

For more information about planning an educational program for teachers and school groups, please contact:

e-mail us

César E. Chávez National Monument
PO Box 201
Keene, CA 93531
661-579-6134